Pastor Brad Bergman

There will be moments in all our lives that demand courage. We will all face situations that are larger than our experience or ability. The great news is that we don’t have to walk through these situations in our own strength, as believers, we have the power of God in us. The Bible is filled with stories of ordinary men and woman that reveal how we too can be courageous.

I’ve got to be honest, this passage never really filled me with much joy or hope… I mean James paints a pretty bleak picture of how incapable we humans are at controlling such an unruly part of us. Reading this as a teenager hit pretty hard. Teenagers already have a hard enough time believing they’re good enough at doing stuff, here was another thing to add to the list. How many times did I crack a joke trying to fit in that really ended up being unkind? Why did I say that? It was frustrating to reflect on at the time, and then James went on to describe the tongue as a relentless evil full of deadly poison. Yikes. Was there any hope for any of us, I wondered?

I have been a Christian for over 30 years, and in many of my early years I barely read the Bible at all. I used to feel guilty as a young Christian about how I didn’t spend much time reading the most important book ever written.

You need to think about…. what you think about. In order to access this power, we need to change our focus. Paul gives us a helpful guide on the type of thinking that pleases God.

In the Bible, the 15th chapter of Luke is known as the lost and found chapter, and it culminates in one of the most powerful stories of a father’s love. It’s the story of the prodigal son.

We are to physically distance ourselves, yet paradoxically, right now we need each other more than ever. In this extraordinary time, we must continually encourage, pray, and care for each other.

Share on facebook Share on google Share on twitter Share on linkedin Where does confidence come from? Are you born with it? Do we have to fake it until we make it? I remember the first time I sang in front of people, I was 18 years old at a …

The writer of Hebrews is reminding us that we can’t allow our spiritual journey to come to a standstill. We must keep moving. We must keep running the race God has set before us.

Often change is uncomfortable and even painful. Most of us probably won’t experience the same tragedy that Daniel went through, however, the principles that held him together still hold true for us today. God’s word is true, and in the midst of changes circumstances God remains the same (Hebrews 13:8).

Like the bird, we can choose to blindly enter into situations with ignorant optimism. Optimism is an amazing quality to have, but not at the expense of taking the time to apply wisdom and careful thought. That’s the amazing benefit of being a part of God’s family.

The great news is that you can know how God wants you to live your life. You can train your spirit to recognize and discern God’s will by renewing your mind to His word (check out Pastor Dave’s series: Under Construction). Our minds are renewed and transformed as we spend time reading scripture. And in doing so we are able to recognize what God’s will is for us.

I mean, wouldn’t God want me to celebrate my successes or take pride in a job well done? Of course, the answer is yes. The Bible actually teaches us that we are to work hard, and that God himself took satisfaction in His own creation (Gen. 1:31). This doesn’t describe the sin of pride.

Nearly every Christian I’ve met desires to have an effective prayer life. Many, however, don’t realize that the Bible outlines several things that will actually cause our prayers to be unanswered. In order to pray effectively, we must avoid the following things: 1. Wrong motives “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” – James 4:3

We Canadians are pretty savvy consumers. We often pride ourselves on the ability to spot what’s fake. Fake newsIt’s everywhere, and it’s becoming increasingly harder to cut through the noise to get to the truth. As a whole, we are becoming more skeptical and even cynical. We may have been fooled in the past, but now we consult our ever-present smartphones to fact check nearly everything.

Peace on earth.We talk about it. We sing about it. We long for it.  Many of us may think that peace is simply the absence of war or conflict. For others, it could mean making it through the holidays without butting heads with siblings, in-laws, or Toronto Maple Leaf fans.